


Take Out The Trash (Reader POV)

by IsabelleChamomile



Series: Fairy Tail Stuff [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon - Anime, Chaptered, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galuna Island Arc, Gray Fullbuster - Freeform, Manga & Anime, Post-Galuna Island Arc, Romantic Fluff, fairy tail - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24377962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsabelleChamomile/pseuds/IsabelleChamomile
Summary: A local restaurant owner in Magnolia finds herself in trouble. The Fairy Tail guild helps after seeing her request for help. A particular ice-make wizard catches her attention, but does she catch his?
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Reader
Series: Fairy Tail Stuff [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1760230
Kudos: 17





	1. Sous Chef

**Author's Note:**

> How's it going? I wrote this about 4 or 5 years ago, but was finally convinced to post it on here. So, a lot of the work I'll be posting at first will be in a pretty different writing style in comparison to my most recent stuff. Either way, I hope you enjoy it.

It’s been about six months since I started dating Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail. Not many people know that we’re together, especially since I’m not part of the guild. I’m just a regular person. No special powers or magic. In fact, my “normalness” is what brought Gray and I together in the first place. 

You see, I own a local restaurant in Magnolia, and I had sent a request to the guild asking for assistance. My shop needed extra hands since one of my employees accidentally wrote and printed a coupon wrong. It was supposed to say, “1 meal for $4.99!!” Instead, it said, “11 meal for $4.99!!”, and despite the poor grammar, people still swarmed asking about the deal. So, I asked the guild if there were any wizards that could help me cook quickly and serve until the one-day offer ended. 

They sent me Natsu Dragneel (a fire dragon slayer), Lucy Heartfilia (a celestial wizard),and Gray Fullbuster (an ice make wizard). Naturally, I put Natsu on the grill and Lucy on serving with her spirits. Gray, on the other hand, became my sous chef since I wasn’t totally sure where to put him. 

Gray and I worked surprisingly well together, especially considering that he had never worked in a kitchen before. He did everything I asked without a single complaint. He even did small jobs for me, like taking out the trash, in little to no time. 

Working with him the whole day really made me appreciate the guild for sending him and the others to me, and like promised, they all helped and the restaurant survived! 

At the end of the day, as I was locking up, Gray stayed behind to walk me home while the others left ahead of him. 

It was chilly out, which was a nice change from the usual summer weather. I had my coat and scarf on, and felt a beautiful breeze as we started walking. 

On our walk to my house, Gray shared some of his thoughts on how the day went: 

“You know, I never thought that working at a restaurant could be so stressful,” he said with a little chuckle. 

I laughed, “Yeah... You caught us on a bad day. It’s usually really peaceful, but that misprint made everything go to hell fast!” 

It was quiet for a moment before he said, “I wouldn’t mind helping out again.” 

I glanced over at him. 

He had an unwavering determination in his dark eyes as he kept his gaze ahead. 

I must have ended up staring, because after a few moments he looked over at me and plainly asked, “What?” 

I jumped a little and asked, “Why would you want to help again? I mean, don’t you wizards have more important things to do?” 

He stopped walking. I looked over my shoulder when he did and noticed he was looking away. Almost like he was trying to think of an answer to give me. 

He finally looked at me with a small smile and a shrug. 

I felt my face get warm. In the moonlight he was really handsome. His messy black hair swayed as a gentle breeze blew by and the smirk and nonchalant shrug made something in my stomach leap. 

I nervously replied, “Um... W-Well, I guess you’re welcome to help if you really want to... I can’t really pay you like I did today though...” 

He put his hands in his white coat pockets, started walking again, and said, “You don’t have to pay me much. I’m even okay with just a meal.” 

As I followed him, I suddenly became really self-conscious. I shoved my now clammy hands in my coat pockets and stuffed my nose in my scarf in an attempt to hide the blush that graced my face. 

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally reached my house. 

I walked up to the door and looked back at him. It almost felt like he somehow managed to become even more handsome from the last time I noticed. 

I opened my mouth to speak, “Thank you for everything today... Were you... serious about helping out again?” 

His eyes perked up just enough for me to notice, and he softly replied, “Yeah.” 

I let out a small sigh and gently smiled as I practically whispered, “I’m glad...” 

His eyes widened a little bit and he blushed. He quickly turned around and cleared his throat, “I-I can’t promise I can help too often!” 

I giggled, “That’s okay. I’m looking forward to when you can, which I hope is soon...” 

He stayed facing away from me, but quietly agreed, “Yeah.” 

I smiled, “Thank you, Gray Fullbuster. Have a good night and please be safe.” 

I walked into my house as calmly as possible, shut the door, and quickly peeked outside the side window to catch a glimpse of him before he left. 

His back was still toward the door and he was looking down. He then turned around to look at the house. He was blushing and he let out what seemed like a heavy sigh. Then he turned to walk away, smiling. 

Since that night, I think it was safe to say that I had a crush on him.


	2. Back For Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the restaurant owner's invitation for Gray to return, he accepted and comes back to help, but... more than once? Surely, she's fallen in love with him, but what's to happen when he doesn't show up when he said he would?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized words are inner thoughts.

The next day, as I was wiping down some tables, the front door opened with a little ring from the wind chime. When I looked up to greet the person who came in, I held in a smile. It was Gray! 

My heart was pounding, and I really hoped my face wasn’t giving away my excitement. I smiled, “Oh, hello, Gray!” 

“H-hey,” he started, “I was wondering if you needed any help today.” His hand scratched at the back of his perfectly sloppy hair, and his cheeks were a little pink. 

I decided to tease him and giggled, “When I said, ‘soon’ I didn’t think you’d take it as ‘tomorrow’!” 

His face burned a little more as he nervously tried to be casual in his response, “Y-yeah, well, it’s not like I was planning on coming today. It just so happened that I already had the day off!” 

I stifled a small laugh, “I see. Well, I was hoping to see you sooner rather than later.” _WHAT._ “I-I mean, because I really needed the trash taken out! Haha!” 

He gently put a hand on my head, and gave me the sweetest smile, “Sure, I’ll take the trash out.” 

I felt my knees get weak and had to use the table next to me for support as he walked through the kitchen door. I could have sworn that if that smile were any sweeter, my restaurant would magically turn into a pastry shop. 

Throughout the next couple months, he’d come to the restaurant on his days off and just help around. Sometimes, even when he was working that day, he’d stop by after he finished. He’d even stay when there was nothing to do, or if the restaurant was slow. Not like I was complaining. 

I loved getting to know him and his little quirks. Like, when he got passionate, he would randomly take his clothes off while doing something and continue as if nothing happened. Only later did I realize he never noticed when he did it until I mentioned it. 

Every time I learned something new about him, I would mentally jot it down. He was really sweet underneath the cool façade, and I think that was my favorite part about him. He would always ask me if I was feeling okay or if I needed anything, if I accidentally hurt myself in the slightest bit he would panic and use his magic, and he did things without having to be asked; just because he noticed something or just because he felt like it. And with those little gestures, my crush turned into someone I fell in love with. Of course, I didn’t notice my feelings for him growing until one day, he didn’t show up. 

He’d told me that he was going to be off on a mission that lasted a week since it was pretty far, but he said he’d come straight to the restaurant once he got into town. Even though I was a little worried, I decided to not ask any questions. Especially since it wasn’t really my business and I didn’t want to come off as a worry wart. 

Before he left, he placed a hand on my head and gave me a smile that said, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back” and maybe a little of “I’ll miss you too.” It felt so nice to be the person he smiled like that to, and I would miss him. So much. 

After the week passed, I was so ready and excited to see him walk through the door. Except, he didn’t that day. 

Or the next day. 

By the time the third day passed, I started to feel antsy. My brain conjured up the worst scenarios. Maybe he was actually in town already, but was mad at me for some reason and that’s why he hadn’t stopped by. Maybe he was dead and no one told me anything because no one actually knew we were associated. Maybe another wizard cast a spell on him that slowed him and his friends’ travels. 

Whatever it was, my mood was still down without him. 

Every now and then, I felt my heart break at the possibility of him being gone forever. 

Another week passed by without any sign of him. 

I started to become more than just anxious. I was irritable. So irritable that I had to remove the wind chimes at the door because the sound of it pissed me off every time it was anyone but him walking in. 

I was also mopey. So mopey that I did nothing but what was needed of me, and that was only if I wasn’t absolutely distracted. 

There were times where I felt depressed, because I thought I would never see him again. 

There were even times where I felt annoyed with myself for not being able to tell him how I felt before this mission, but despite which negative feeling I was enduring, it didn’t change the fact that I still missed him, and his absence was very much felt. 

Finally, after a month of waiting, I thought I heard someone call my name while I was in the kitchen preparing dough for the next morning. 

I turned off the blender and closed my eyes to listen for the voice again. After a quiet moment, right as I reached for the blender to continue working, I heard it again. This time, I recognized the voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the Galuna Island arc didn't last as long as what was written, but for drama purposes, I extended it.


	3. Disheveled Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray comes back with more than a few bumps and bruises, but definitely happy to return home. Will he still be happy after our little chef confesses some hidden secrets about her time without him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The softness of it all kills me, tbh. I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. Even though the chapters are fairly short, I do it so that it's more manageable to read, but also easier to manage in-story time wise. Luckily, I don't plan on posting chapters weekly; when it's done, it's done. Why would I torture you guys like that? (Unless... jk.)

I immediately burst through the kitchen door, and stopped. 

There he was: Dirty, battle worn, and still so beautiful. 

He stared at me. Dark blue eyes wide and mouth slightly open, perfect body rising and falling as he breathed like he had just been running. 

My eyes burned because I refused to blink; afraid that if I did, my mind would betray me and he would be gone again. 

I slowly started to walk toward him, and after a few cautious steps, I broke into a sprint. 

He caught me in a strong embrace as I threw my arms around his neck. 

My flour covered hands frantically wandered around his bare back and shoulders to make sure he was real. 

I pulled away, still in his arms just enough to see his face. My hands then decided to feel around his face trying to further convince my eyes that he was very much the person I was looking for. 

He was blushing while I scanned his features in wonder. 

My fingers grazed his soft cheeks and strong jawline, and brushed his sweaty bangs out of the way of his droopy navy eyes; lingering above a new scar above his brow. My thumb drew a line down the bridge of his nose, down and across his lightly chapped lips. 

He was real. So, so real. I closed my eyes as he rested his forehead on mine. 

I could feel his cold breath caress my nose as a minty smell tickled my senses. 

My finally calm and steady hands weaved their fingers through his black tresses and there they stayed as I let out a shaky breath. A breath that felt like I had been holding in for ages, and was soon followed by warm tears dripping down my face. 

He dejectedly whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m _so_ sorry.” 

I softly replied with a voice that sounded like it hadn’t been used, “It’s okay… I was so scared, and I waited so long for you to come home.” 

He squeezed me a little tighter and in turn, I lightly tugged at his hair. He started with a little shake in his voice, “I missed you… I was scared too. I thought I wasn’t going to make it back this time around, but I kicked some ass and came back as soon as I could.” 

I smiled and sniffled, “I’m just glad you’re back. I was so miserable without you.” 

He let out a hum as I felt him smile. 

I let go of his hair and wrapped my arms around his neck. He buried his face in my hair as we deepened our hug. We stood like that for a long moment. Then, as I rested my head on his shoulder, I realized he was completely covered in flour! 

I giggled a little, and all I heard was a muffled, “Hm?” 

“I accidentally got flour all over you,” I sighed with a little bounce in my voice. 

Still muffled, I heard him reply, “Well, it’s not like I needed a shower or anything.” 

I laughed, “Before you do… can you take out the trash?” 

I felt him sink in my arms in playful defeat. 

As I laughed, my heart pounded against my chest so hard that I felt my head start to spin. I’d never felt anything as terrifyingly exhilarating than waiting for this amazing person, and now I finally had him in my arms. 

I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I didn’t realize I had said anything out loud until after the words left my lips: 

“I love you…” 

He suddenly paused as I held my breath. 

I actually said it. It was a complete accident, but I definitely said it. I guess being so afraid of losing him and all of the regret I felt for not telling him sooner finally reared its ugly head back at me. Something inside of me wanted to save me from feeling those emotions again. 

He pried himself out of my neck to look at me with a serious expression. 

_Please don’t hate me._

_I love you so much._

_Please don’t hate me._

His eyes locked with mine. 

I felt exceedingly vulnerable as his ice-cold stare searched for something in the very recesses of my soul. I started to internally panic the longer he stared. 

My vision started to blur and tunnel. My ears were ringing, and my throat felt like it was closing. I felt myself falling apart. 

The carefully constructed self I had slowly built started to erode. All because I was afraid of his response. A response that was taking too long to happen. 

_No…_

_Why did I say that…?_

In my mental breakdown, I didn’t notice that he stopped staring until I felt his lips cover mine. 

They were surprisingly warm, but the kiss was short. I didn’t have the chance to kiss him back. 

He slowly pulled away and put his forehead against mine again. His eyes were closed, and I felt his hands slightly shaking against my back. 

He was nervous as he spoke, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” 

He lifted his head with a blush, a small smile across his face, and continued, “I kissed you before getting to say that I love you too.” 

There it was. His response. Completely nonchalant and very… Gray. 

My body had been acting on its own since he showed up, and showed no signs of stopping as my hands cupped his face and brought him back down to me. 

I wanted to feel it again. The unexpected warmth of his lips, but this time I wanted to kiss him back. 

It didn’t take very long for him to reciprocate. The kiss suddenly deepened as his arms secured themselves around me. 

After a while, my lungs felt like collapsing. 

He drew back just enough to let himself talk, “Don’t leave me.” 

“I should be the one saying that to you, idiot,” I said breathlessly, eyes still closed, relishing in the euphoric sensation of the kiss. 

He smiled as he hummed in satisfaction. 

My thumbs stroked his face as I quietly spoke, “Stay with me tonight…” 

In the same hushed tone, he replied, “Okay…” 

We finally and reluctantly released each other from our hold. 

As we stepped away, I finally got a good look at his body. 

He was definitely doing anything but dawdling while he was away. There were fresh cuts and scars all over, and some bandages around his arms and stomach. 

It pained me to see him all banged up like that. 

I gently brushed his torso before taking his hand. 

I looked at it; worn and calloused. I sighed and asked, “Did you eat yet?” 

He used his other hand to raise my face to meet his gaze, “Hey, it’s not as bad as it looks, okay? I’m already feeling a lot better now that I’m finally home.” 

Hearing him say “home” left a really warm feeling in my chest, and I couldn’t help but tear up a little as he smiled at me. 

He continued, “And to answer your question, no. I haven’t eaten yet, but I’ll eat once I come back.” 

I immediately shot him a worried glance as my hand that held his reflexively twitched at the thought of him leaving me again. 

He chuckled, “I’m not going anywhere too far this time. Just going to drop by my house to pick up some clean clothes and stuff. I have to stop by the guild on the way back to check in though.” 

I relaxed at his words. I felt like a fool for assuming he was leaving on another mission when he just got back from a rough one. 

He squeezed my hand and said, “I’ll come right back and I won’t take too long. I promise… I’ll even take a shower at your house to get me here faster.” He winked. 

My face flustered and scrunched. I playfully pushed him with my free hand as I rolled my eyes, “Fine, whatever! I have to finish up the prep for tomorrow anyway, so I should be done by the time you get back. And when you do, you better tell me about your little escapade, Mr. Skips-work-a-lot!” 

He took my other hand in his and leaned in for a peck on the lips. He had me blushing mad by the time he retorted with, “You got it, Boss.” 

He pulled away with a smug look on his face, fully aware of the reaction he got from that little quip. As he let go of my hands, I made sure to say, “Please be safe.” 

He smirked with a soft look in his eyes as he said, “No promises!” 

He turned and walked out the door with a little pep in his step. I stood there for a few seconds before softly saying, 

“…You never took out the trash…”


	4. Comfort Of Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go to her house! I wonder if anything will happen on their first night together?

As I finished cleaning the kitchen and myself, I heard the wind chimes. 

I never put them back on the door. So, that only meant one thing! 

I grabbed my things, turned off the lights, and swiftly and smoothly opened the kitchen door. 

The wind chimes jingled as Gray put them back on their hook. 

He was wearing his white button up shirt in an attempt to “cover up,” I guess. I tittered a little at the thought. 

He flinched when I called his name. He turned around and simply said, “I noticed they didn’t ring when I came in earlier. Why’d you take ‘em down?” 

I smiled and said, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you when we get to my house. You ready?” 

He nodded as his smile was replaced with shock. He suddenly blurted, “I forgot to take out the trash!!!” 

He started to run. I grabbed his wrist and laughed, “I’ll let it slide this once. Let’s just go home already!” 

He let out a sigh of relief as we started to head to my house. 

On the way, he told me all about his mission. His eyes sparkled and he did the most dazzling poses I had ever seen as he told stories of a demon tribe, giant rats in maid outfits, a poor guy named Lyon, and how his battles panned out. 

In the end, it turned out that the reason for him being away for so long was just a result of a chain of events. 

One adventure led to another, which led to another, and another. 

I tried my best to hold in a massive amount of worry as he mentioned almost dying due to a spell called… Iced Shell? I took a mental note to thank Natsu Dragneel, and even though I was still worried, my heart fluttered as I watched his child-like storytelling, and a sense of pride washed over me as I relished in the fact that these dangerous tasks were accomplished by my prince charming. 

By the time we reached my front door my face hurt from laughing so much. As I unlocked the door, I said, “Make yourself at home, okay?” 

I walked in first and put my coat and scarf on the rack right next to the door. 

My home was fairly small, but was perfect for me. As we entered, I gave him a quick tour. 

We walked into pretty large area with a living room space on the right that was shared by a kitchen on the left. 

As Gray walked through, his eyes wandering around, he passed the small wooden dining table where he put his sling bag. I continued to walk through the area as he followed. 

There were three doors next to each other on the wall across from the front door. 

I walked to the one on the left and opened it, “This is my room.” 

He peeked in and nodded. 

I opened the middle door, “This is the bathroom. It’s small, but has just enough space for a toilet and shower. If you need the sink, use the one in the kitchen.” 

He nodded and gave a pretty serious thumb up. 

I smirked at his awkward determination and went to open the third door, “This is the guest room where you’ll be staying.” 

He stood next to me. Peeking in, he asked, “You have a guest room? Isn’t that extra rent?” 

I sighed, crossed my arms, and leaned on the door frame. “Yeah, my parents got this place for me thinking I’d want a guest room to host sleepovers or whatever. They thought I’d be super popular with a lot of friends when I moved to Magnolia. However, I enjoy keeping to myself, I can afford it because of the restaurant, and it’s good to use for emergencies, like if my employees need a place to crash for a night or two, and for… special occasions.” 

I turned to him as I said the last couple words. 

His eyes were still wandering around the room as he smiled and hummed. 

I took his hand and turned him as I walked to the kitchen. 

I called over my shoulder, “So are you okay with some leftover stew? It’s pretty cold outside, so we can eat it by the fireplace.” 

I opened the fridge while he responded, “Sure. That sounds good. I’ll take a shower first, if that’s okay.” 

I nodded at him as he took his satchel from the dining table and made his way into the bathroom. 

While he showered, I brought the warm bowls of stew on the coffee table in front of the fireplace and lit it. The fire was so warm and comforting that the couch seemed to become plusher the longer I sat. 

I tried with every fiber of my being to keep a straight face as he came out of the bathroom with nothing but blue plaid pajama pants on and a towel draped over his head. 

God, he was hot, and if my eyes weren’t mistaken, I think he may have been sparkling. 

He walked over and plopped down on the floor in front of his bowl, his body still glistening and his hair dripping. 

I huffed as I asked, “What’s the point of using a towel if you’re still going to be dripping wet?” 

He looked at me through the towel wig with wide eyes and a spoonful of stew in his mouth. 

I giggled as I walked over and sat on the couch behind him. 

He continued eating as I softly started rubbing circles in his hair. I moved down to his back and shoulders, and when I finished, I draped the towel and my arms over his shoulders. 

He leaned his head away from me to give me a spot to put my face as I placed my lips in the nape of his neck. He smelled nice. Like, a forest after it rained with a hint of soap and… stew. 

He was still eating when I looked up at him and asked, “So, what do you do about your hair? Just leave it?” 

He glanced back with a little tint in his cheeks, and continued shoveling food in his mouth after he replied, “Well, yeah. It’s not like I style it or anything. I just let it do what it wants.” 

I slowly ran a hand through his damp hair when he quietly continued, “I can brush it if you want…” 

I stood up from behind him and placed a kiss on his head as I sat down in front of my bowl. I smiled at him as he waited for a response, which I plainly gave, “You don’t have to. I like your hair how it is. It’s very… Gray Fullbuster.” I winked before putting a spoonful of stew in my mouth. 

He flinched and his face grew red as he cleared his throat. He quickly got up and took his bowl to the sink to wash it out. 

I smugly grinned to myself as I ate watching the fire. 

I heard the sink shut off, and my content mood turned into one of shock as I felt Gray hurdle himself over the back of the couch behind me and land with a _FWUMP!_

I immediately turned around to scold him, but was cut off when his face was only a couple inches away from mine. 

He had his usual scowl as he flatly spoke, “Hurry up and finish.” 

I felt my face get hot, which made me pout. I turned away from him and continued eating as I grumpily said, “Don’t tell me what to do.” 

He laid down on the couch with his hands behind his head and patiently waited as I finished. 

It felt nice to just share comfortable silence with him. 

I stood up to bring my bowl to the sink as I glanced down at him. 

His eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly open as he slowly breathed. 

I could tell he was exhausted, and it made me happy to think that he was still willing to stay here after his draining journey. 

I put the dishes away, walked over to the couch, and carefully sat down at the edge. 

I placed my cold hand over his blue Fairy Tail tattoo and traced my fingers around it. 

I quietly sang his name and was returned with eyes still closed and a sleepy whisper, “Yeah?” 

I whispered back, “It’s time for bed.” 

His hand made its way to mine and he brought it to his lips. He didn’t say anything else as he slowly, but surely, got up from the couch and dragged his feet to the guest room. 

I followed him in as he reached for a white t-shirt and sleepily put it on. 

I was amused to see him actually put clothes _on._

He belly-flopped onto the bed and nuzzled his face into the pillow. 

I moved him to put the comforter over him, and kissed the back of his head. 

He sighed and I said goodnight as I walked to my room. 

As I laid in bed, my mind raced with thoughts of the other person sleeping in my house, I thought about the time I had waited and how he was back. 

My heart ached as I thought about how much I had missed him. My arms equally tingled as they craved to hold him again. 

I sat up on the edge of my bed. The hardwood floor was cold as I let my feet take me out of my room. I slowly opened the door to the guest room as I peeked inside. 

He was sleeping with his back facing me, but when I opened the door a little wider to let myself in, he stretched and turned to me. He opened his eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of his intruder. 

He drowsily grinned as he let his eyes close and held out his arms. 

My heart thumped as I crawled into his bed like a kid who needed comfort after a nightmare. 

He scooted over to give me more space and wrapped his warm arms around me. 

My arm snaked around his waist as I burrowed my nose into his shirt. 

When we settled, I felt his chest vibrate as he asked, “You okay?” 

I nodded and murmured, “M-hm.” I took a deep breath. 

_I love this smell… Damp forest and wind…_

After a few minutes, I heard him grunt a little in annoyance. 

I looked up and asked, “What?” 

He flatly stated, “Now, I can’t sleep.” 

I teasingly replied, “I can go back to my r--“, but was cut off by a loud and whiny groan as I felt his arms squeeze me tighter. 

I gave a jokingly exasperated sigh, “Fiiiiine.” 

I felt him smile above me as he drew out a long exhale. 

Another quiet moment passed as I started drifting in and out of sleep, but was fully awaken when he softly said, “My heart is beating so fast.” 

I blushed so hard out of sheer embarrassment. This whole time I thought that it was just my heart doing backflips in my chest. 

I nervously muttered, “M-mine is too.” 

I felt an instant chill as he released me from his grasp to turn onto his back. 

He turned his face away from me and put the back of his wrist over his eyes. From what the moonlight allowed me to see, I noticed he was blushing as hard as I was. 

I softly hummed while a quiet smile danced across my face. 

I felt my nose start to tickle as my eyes started to warm up. 

The arm around his waist traveled higher as I started to caress the side of his overturned face. 

Tears started to trickle down onto his shirt as I let my heart swell with a warm ache. 

Feeling the sudden dampness on his shoulder, he cast a worried glance towards me. 

My hand that was now on his chest clenched in his shirt. I squeezed my eyes shut and quietly shook. 

His eyes were wide and he opened his mouth to speak, but I started instead. 

In a shaky and cracked voice, and in between little hiccups, I said, “I was so worried… I waited and hoped and prayed you were still alive… I had no idea what to think or feel while you were away… I even took those stupid wind chimes down, because I got upset every time they rang and it wasn’t you! ... I knew that I missed you so much, and in missing you, I realized…” I looked up at him with tearful eyes, “that I’m in love with you, Gray Fullbuster…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, nasties. We get steamy in the next one, alright? Sheesh, honestly...


	5. Can't Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension is high when you're separated from such a fresh love.

This time I didn’t have a mental breakdown, because I knew he loved me back. 

He turned to me again and his free hand wiped tears while he leaned in. 

I felt the bicep underneath my head tense as he wrapped his arm around across my shoulders. 

He placed his full lips on mine, ever so gently, and kissed me… 

The feeling was so overwhelming. I filled up with warmth, and the thought of not wanting to stop. 

He obviously didn’t want to either because he kissed me more than just once… twice… three times. By the third time, his hand that was on my face was between my shoulder blades as he pulled me even closer. 

I let go of his shirt as my hand made its way up to his shoulder. 

His kisses grew a bit stronger as we continued. 

My hand on his shoulder slowly and gently grazed past his neck, and my fingers combed through his hair and stayed there. 

As our kisses became more passionate the hand between my shoulder blades steadily made its way down to the bend of my lower back. He pulled my lower body in, causing my arms to raise a little more and exposing a couple inches of skin. 

His hand felt the change in texture, and made it so that his fingertips just barely glided along the line of the shirt. 

The sudden, but expected tickle that followed caused the hands in his hair to slightly clench. 

The rhythm of our kisses accelerated, and even though it seemed impossible to get our bodies closer, we somehow managed to. 

His kisses started to move. He kissed his way past my cheek, propped himself on his elbow, and started to nuzzle the soft spot in my neck. His hand on my back caressed itself to the side of my waist, under my shirt, and stopped when the tip of his thumb and index finger met the line of my bra. 

He made it back to my lips using the same route he took. At that point in our kissing the two of us didn’t even think about breathing. We were holding each other so tightly when I felt the hand on my rib slightly flinch. 

My ticklish rib caused me to lightly grab a hold of his bottom lip with my teeth, and when I pulled away, he was close enough to where I could feel him smile. 

He continued as he moved his body on top of mine, now resting on both of his elbows. 

Gray was my first kiss so I’d never done anything like this before, and the shift in position made me exceptionally nervous. 

It felt so good to kiss him this way. It made my senses numb except for the warmth I felt in my chest and belly, but I wasn’t completely sure if I was ready for anything past this. 

I slightly pulled my mouth away from him, but because he was still moving in, I ended up saying his name into his mouth, “G-gray…” 

He kept on kissing, responding into my mouth as well, “Yeah?” 

Hearing his voice as he panted in between kisses made me melt into a pile of mush underneath him, but I continued talking in those kisses, “Gray…” 

He kissed and spoke again, “What is it?” 

I finally grabbed a hold of his face and gave him a long, hard kiss before releasing him. 

He looked down at me. His half-lidded, droopy eyes sparkled in a dreamy haze as his bangs cascaded and framed his perfect face, which was absolutely flushed. 

I stared at him as he breathed heavily. I wasn’t sure how to tell him that I wasn’t prepared to go farther, but before I said anything he softly asked, “Not ready?” 

I rubbed my thumbs on his warm cheeks, and slowly shook my head. 

He took a deep breath as he smiled, closed his eyes, and rested his forehead on mine. 

I patiently and anxiously watched him afraid that I may have disappointed him. 

He tenderly continued, “That’s okay… You let me know when you are… okay?” 

I nodded and managed a small, “M-hm.” 

He lifted his head to look back down at me still in a soft, wistful stupor. In a firm and lightly sarcastic voice, he said, "In the meantime, I want to make out. A lot.” 

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck to bring him into another kiss. 

Since then, his wish has been granted. Many, many times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, yeah. I know I'm the worst. Tbh, I'm not very good at writing smut, but I tried once with another story. Maybe I'll post it some time. Idk. I hope you guys liked this though. It holds a special place in my heart being the first fic I wrote. 
> 
> On another note, I did this same story, but in Gray's POV. I haven't finished proofing it yet. So, you'll have to wait a bit. Something to look forward to tho: If you line the stories up, they mirror each other. Like, they line up perfectly during the scenes when Gray and Reader are together but you get to see their separate reactions. Pretty cool, huh? I was proud of that one.


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